Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Frey Blog Tour! Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway!

Hello and welcome to my stop on this wonderful tour! Today I have below a review, a totally true audiobook guest post, and giveaways!


Title-
 Frey (Frey Saga #1)
Author- Melissa Wright
Source- ebook for free!
Pages- 468
Publisher- Lulu
Publication Date- July 25th 2011

Goodreads Summary-

Unaware she's been bound from using magic, Frey leads a small, miserable life in the village where she's sent after the death of her mother. But a tiny spark starts a fury of changes and she finds hersef running from everything she's ever known. 


Hunted by council for practicing dark magic, she is certain she's been wrongfully accused. She flees, and is forced to rely on strangers for protection. But the farther she strays from home, the more her magic and forgotten memories return and she begins to suspect all is not as it seems.


~Review~

Cover Thoughts-
It's perfect. The cover is so eye catching and colorful and the the next one in the series is like it too. The cursive leaves a bit of an antique and free feeling like the story. I also love the idea of putting Frey on the cover with a nature scene like that because throughout the whole book she is in the wilderness.

First Thought-
I'm expecting some sort of wizard or magic people? The summary sounds alright. 
What I liked-
I loved it. As soon as I was done I went and bought the second one and I'm still reading it right now. My favorite scene in it is where she is being tutored by Chevelle because Junnie has been called on by their elf-kind  Council and a bird dies. You would have to read it all to understand why! I loved how everything is connected flawlessly. There was so many twists and pieces of information that could have been left untouched or mistaken but everything came together nicely. My favorite character is certain elf fairy Ruby. Her fiery attitude, hair, whip, and dust make her so unique compared to everyone else. Basically you have Chevelle (sexy dark elf tutoring Freya), Grey (disappearing magic whiz and totally in love with Ruby), Anvil (tongue burned and lightening master), Rhys and Rider (serious followers of the wolves), Steed (another sexy dark elf that can make Freya smile), Ruby and Freya on a long journey to a place Freya has no idea. She has lost most of her memories, her mother is dead, her aunt is a lune, and she is accused of dark magic. That is just the beginning of this book. It is the diary that really starts to unraval everything.

What I disliked-
I honestly believe Freya plays the lost little girl with no idea card way too much. She seems like a cry baby on the brink of giving up most of the time. Sometimes I just wanna facepalm her becuase she can be such an innocent idiot. That is the only reason why she isnt my favorite charcter and why I like the BA Ruby instead. :) Other than that I can find no other uninteresting parts of the book.

Overall Readability-
It's fastpaced and easy to follow. Even thought Freya isn't one of my favorite characters I very much enjoy this series! The best part is Frey is unique. Elves are the main characters and humans are myths!

My Final Thought-
Oh my gosh she is what? That is awesome. She has one heck of a road in front of her!

4 out of 5 Haunted Roses



~Author Bio~
Melissa lives in the Midwest with her family (including a few spoiled dogs and horses), loves to travel but always misses home, and has little to no spare time. If she ever manages to find some, it's spent painting or outdoors (but never at the same time). Frey is her first novel, but she's been bitten by the writing bug, so expect many more to follow.



~Links~
Amazon (Free on Amazon)


~Guest Post~

Audiobooks

When people find out I listen to audiobooks, I always get a strange response. An odd look, uncomfortable silence, a smirk. A comment like, "Oh, yeah, my grandpa used to listen to those old radio shows."  I can understand the prejudice, I've been on that side. What? No, I don't want to listen to someone talking all day. I had enough of lectures in school. But I'm a convert. In a kind of "eat your vegetables" fashion, my father forced me to give them a chance. And I can tell you, the public is uninformed. Some are better than others, but all allow you to enjoy your favorite pastime during your sucky commute, while you're cleaning house (that's right, bonus-they make your chores more bearable), or anytime you have free ears. I still read ebooks and paperbacks, but any time I'm stuck in a car for hours on end, or doing laundry and dishes, I've got something playing. I've composed a list of some of my favorites. Give them a try, I promise it's cooler than you think.Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis – Best overall. Great stories, great set of narrators.Hounded by Kevin Hearne - I listened to this months ago and I'm still laughing. Best. Dog. Ever.Driving Mr. Dead by Molly Harper - The narrator nails these characters, you will be giggling your butt off.Outlander by Diana Gabaldon – A baffling array of accents, my favorite being the Scottish Highlander (wink, wink).The Millennium Trilogy by Steig Larsson - Especially helpful with stumbling through those tricky names.Watership Down by Richard Adams - Very mellow, nice accent.The Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris - Fun and light, as I think the books were meant to be.The Ender Saga by Orson Scott Card - Card always has great narrators, you're pretty much safe with any of his books.
A Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin - Much less overwhelming this way.There is a catch, of course. After so many hours of listening, you might find yourself walking around saying, "Hodor" or speaking with a Scottish burr. But that's fun, too. 



~Frey Blog Tour Schedule~
May 21st- June 1st 
May 21stShadow Kisses Book Reviews- Review, Giveaway
May 22nd- Known to Read- Review, Guest Post, Giveaway
May 23rd- Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm- Review, Giveaway
May 25th - Always YA at Heart- Review, Guest Post, Giveaway
May 26th- Cocktails and Books- Review, Guest Post, Giveaway
May 27th- LS Murphy- Review, Interview
May 28th- Paperback Princess- Review, Interview, Giveaway
May 29th- Ce-Ce's Garden of Reviews- Guest Post, Giveaway
May 30th- The Haunted Rose- Review, Guest Post, Giveaway
May 31st- Shattered Souls- Interview, Giveaway
June 1stTurning the Pages- Guest Post




~Giveaways~


a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, May 18, 2012

Swipe Blog Tour! Review and Giveaway!

Woop Woop! My tour stop is here and you have an awesome chance to win a paperback copy of SWIPE! I also have for you a 5 haunted roses review because this book is so off the charts.
 I can not wait for the next one!



Title- Swipe
Author- Evan Angler
Source- paperback sent from author
Pages- 275
Publisher- Thomas Nelson Fiction
Publication Date- May 8th 2012

Goodreads Summary-


Logan Langley is just months away from his thirteenth birthday and the biggest day of his life- the day he will finally be Marked. The Mark lets people get jobs, vote, and even go out to eat or buy concert tickets. 

Becoming Marked means becoming free. Or so he is told. Five years ago when Logan's sister went to get her Mark she never came back. Now Logan can't shake the feeling he's being watched... 

And then he finds the wire.


~Review~

Cover Thoughts-
One of the best covers I have ever seen. It's original and goes with the book. It even shows what the mark would look like. I absolutely love it.

First Thought-
I love me some dystopian! I like that summary too!

What I liked-
The whole idea was awesome. It was original and like some crazy mash-up of Unwind by Neal Shusterman and Bar Code by Suzanne Weyn. The whole time I was picturing Peck and The Dust as these horrible disgusting unmarked people until the end. I seriously fell in love with Erin's charcter. She is not afraid to stick up for whats right. But then at the end I hated her. Evan Angler wrote with an amazing passion that I could almost believe I was there. It was not confusing at all so I am 100% sure any middle school student can read this and love it! 

What I disliked-
How could some people other than The Dust not be a rebel too? If I was a 12 year old and I couldn't go buy a monster and a big bag of Doritos I would totally be a rebel. Also everyone has there own way of being rebellious and different so wouldn't the machine test before the mark light up with everyone? Wouldn't there be a ton of children who are flunkees? I find it hard to believe children rarely become flunkees. I know without a doubt I would be one. 

Overall Readability-
I loved it! It was easy to read and I was able to finish it in one sitting. I'm sure it will become very popular fast with younger preteens and teenagers.

My Final Thought-
That she-demon! How dare she not take Logan's side after all they been through! :( You are Dust Logan. 


5 out of 5 Haunted Roses

      

~Tour Schedule~ 

* means another chance to win a paperback copy!

http://tweezlereads.blogspot.com : May 14 – Review
http://themagicatticreads.com/ : May 14 – Spotlight*
http://read-a-holicz.blogspot.com : May 15 – Review
http://adiaryofabookaddict.blogspot.com/  : May 15 – Why We Differ? Guest Post
http://iheartyabooks.blogspot.com/ : May 16 – Review*
www.goodchoicereading.com : May 16 – Swipe Playlist
Www. epiloguerreview.blogspot.com : May 16 – Review*
bookmarkbelles.blogspot.com : May 16 – Reviews*
http://cecesreviews.blogspot.com : May – 16 – Review
www.readandrepeat.co.uk : May 16 - Review
bookbriefs.blogspot.com : May 16 – Review
http://thebookgalaxy.blogspot.com : May 17 – Review*
http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com : May 17 – Review*
http://www.blookgirl.com : May 17 – Review*
http://alifepixelated.blogspot.com : May 18 – Review*
http://www.thebooklife.com : May 18 – Review*
Books With Marshmallows : May 18 – review
www.novelsontherun.blogspot.com : May 19 – Review*
www.thehauntedrose.blogspot.com : May 19 – Review*
http://wefancybooks.blogspot.com : May 19 – Author’s Top Ten


~Giveaway~

1 Paperback copy is up for grabs if you live in the US or Canada! Just fill out the raffelcopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Haunted By Dana Michelle Burnett Book Review


Title- Haunted
Author- Dana Michelle Burnett
Source- E-book sent from the author
Publisher- Self-Published
Publication Date- April 12th 2012

Goodreads Summary-
Alastor came at me then, forcing me back against the wall. He was so solid that I could feel his weight against me. I could feel his frozen breath on my face....He ran his hand up my arm, over my shoulder, and rested at the base of my throat. His blue eyes glittered dangerously.
Becca has accepted the horrors of her past life, and emerged with her ghostly love Alastor at her side. But her happiness is short lived when she realizes that balancing her past and present won't be easy...
Becca has already decided that it's Alastor that she loves, but now, as their uncommon relationship limits Becca's future, Alastor must decide if he's willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for Becca's happiness....And will Becca's sanity survive?


~Review~

Cover Thoughts-
I love it! It's so ghostly, dark, and emotional just like the book! 

First Thought-

Yay! The second one is here! Maybe Alastor will be gone this time.

What I liked-
I was blindsided by this book. I seriously had no idea that this was going to happen. I was like OMG in the first chapter. This was a totally different direction than I thought Dana would go and it was awesome. I loved how they put Becca in a ward where everyone thinks she is crazy but she is still haunted by Alastor. Dana Michelle Burnett also introduced a new character named Dr. Scott Langdon. He is now in charge of Becca's case and he wants to find out why all the nurses don't want to have the nightshift with Becca. I cried more in this one than I did in the last one because this one is absolutely sad. It's so heartbreaking. I seriously started to hate Alastor and Becca. All I could think was poor Jonah! I also liked how the chapters switched from present with the Doctor and past with Becca. 

What I disliked-
I don't get Alastor's mood swings. How can he be angry and full of rage and power one book and so sweet and kind the next. I wanted at least one scene where he could go crazy like before but he didn't. I also don't like how fast the story was going. It was going from one scene to the next too fast for me and I was hoping for details of the love her and Jonah and Alastor shared.

Overall Readability-
It was a very ghostly heartbreaking romance that brought tears to eyes. I wanted just one day to work for poor Becca. Just one day! It's fast, easy to get into, and easy to fall in love with. Paranormal Romance lovers will very much enjoy this!

My Final Thought-
Stop Becca don't do it! :( Why can't Alastor just stay dead!


4 out of 5 Haunted Roses



~About the Author~


Dana Michelle Burnett spent most of her life writing short stories and sharing them with family and friends. Over the years, her work was published in numerous commercial and literary magazines including Just Labs, Mindprints: A Literary Journal, Foliate Oak, and many more.  Her short story John Lennon and the Chicken Holocaust was included in The Best of Foliate Oak in 2006.
In 2010, Burnett’s first novel, Ghost Country, was released.  Based on her own Cherokee heritage, the novel marked her return to the literary world after a four year hiatus.  She followed that with the release of her romance novel, Two Out of Three in the summer of 2011.
Spiritus is the first novel in her new paranormal romance series by the same name.  The second book, Haunted, is now available.




~Guest Post~
Music As Inspiration

First off, thanks for having me on the blog!  I’m excited to be here promoting the release of my novel Haunted, the second book in my Spiritus series. This is a continuance of the love affair between a young woman and the sensual ghost haunting her Corydon, Indiana home.
Often the first spark for my novels comes from music.  I’ll hear a song or see a video and suddenly I’m creating an entire story in my head.  One song may fuel the entire novel or it may be many songs for different scenes and emotions.
Haunted came from many places inside my head and music really helped me get in touch with the story.  It is You from the Shrek soundtrack started everything.  I heard that song and pictured Becca and Alastor and where their story would go next.  From there, the music of P!nk, Lady Gaga, classic Richard Marx, George Michael, and even Meatloaf moved the song along.  (Anyone already familiar with the series knows how well Bad Romance fits the story)
Music was a way for me to immerse myself in the character or scene.  My favorite parts of Haunted are the ones that were wrote while listening to my favorite songs again and again.http://c.gigcount.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEzMjU3MDY2ODE4NzkmcHQ9MTMyNTcwNjY5MDg1MyZwPTY5NDMwMSZkPSZnPTEmbz1jYzI4ODI4M2Y1NzY*NTdlYjAw/YzM3NWVjYTgwNzBlNiZvZj*w.gif  And anytime I started to doubt myself, I would just listen to my own personal theme song (So What-P!nk), and suddenly I felt like I could take on the world.
What about you?  Do you have a theme song or a piece of music that inspires you?

~Giveaway~ 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, May 11, 2012

Talented by Sophie Davis Promo Blitz



Young Adult
Title: Talented
Author: Sophie Davis

Date Published: January 2012
Synopsis: 
Talia Lyons is Talented.  She possesses the ability to read the minds of others and manipulate their thoughts.  Ever since she witnessed the brutal murders of her parents, Talia has spent her life honing her abilities, with her heart set on vengeance.  Now she is poised to face the man responsible, but duplicity causes Talia to doubt herself and her powers.  In the wake of this betrayal, Talia turns to a boy who can mimic her Talents, a boy who truly understands her inner turmoil.  But even he can’t help Talia when she’s forced to choose between saving herself or avenging the lives of her parents.




Author Bio:
Sophie moved to Washington, D.C. after graduating from Penn State University to pursue a career in the Sciences.  After deciding to actually write down one of the stories she makes up in her head, Sophie began the long journey towards her first full-length novel, Talented.  Caged is her second novel, and the second in the Talented Saga.  When Sophie isn't hunched over her computer, she can be found shopping in Georgetown, running in Rock Creek Park, or at the local dive bars in her Columbia Heights Neighborhood.
Website
Twitter: @SophieDavisBook


Links to purchase:
B&N
Amazon
Sony
IPad
Smashwords



Excerpt:
My parents’ deaths had been quick.  One cold metal bullet to the side of my father’s head was all it took to steal the life of the man whose lap I curled up in every night before bed so he could tell me a story; the man who brought me cold milk and warm cinnamon sugar cookies when I had nightmares; the man whose warm, dark brown eyes and toothy smile lit up the room every time my mother walked in.
My poor mother, she never stood a chance.  Before she could even reach my father, a man in black grabbed her from behind.  With one flick of his wrist, a gaping wound appeared across her throat.  The man in black tossed her carelessly next to my father’s crumpled form, like she was trash.
I was murderous.  The feelings overwhelmed me, stirring in my stomach and rising like bile in my throat; overwhelmed me.  Then the horrible, high-pitched shrieking started; it filled my ears, suffocating all of the coherent thoughts in my brain.
I am still not sure if it was the cold, calculated murder of my father, or the careless disposal of my mother – probably both – but I felt something inside of me snap.  One minute, I was hiding in the closet with the silk of my mother’s long dresses pulled tight around my face, like curtains trying to block out the brutal scene in the bedroom.  The next, I was sitting in the outer room of our hotel suite, surrounded by broken furniture, shattered glass, and the bodies of the men in black.  They were all dead.
The blonde man carried a large gun slung over one shoulder, and several smaller ones were tucked at his waist.  An entire team of men clamored through the doorway after him.  He held up one of his hands, indicating for the men to stay back.  He approached me slowly, hesitantly.  He was greater than an arms distance away when he tentatively extended one of his large, gloved hands toward me; I had seen people do the same thing with wounded animals.
“Natalia?” he asked in a soft voice.  I couldn’t find the energy to even nod my head, I just stared blankly.  “Natalia,” he repeated.  “My name is Danbury McDonough.  Do you remember me?  I’m friends with your daddy.”  I rewarded him with another of my blank stares.  “Natalia, are you hurt?”  He took my silence as an indication that I was not.
He placed me in the back seat of the waiting vehicle. I curled into a ball as he covered me with dry blankets.  My body and mind were numb, impervious to the rain and cold.  He tucked the red and black fabric under my chin.  I was vaguely aware that the material was itchy against my skin, but I didn’t move it away.
I could hear the soft ping of the raindrops hitting the metal roof of the car, keeping perfect time with the tears leaking on to the soft leather seat and pooling underneath my cheek.  I tried to concentrate on the noise instead of the slideshow of my parents’ deaths playing on the inside of my eyelids.  I was convinced that the images, now seared into my conscious, would never fade.  The feelings I’d had in the closet were now gone, leaving me empty and hollow and tired – so tired.  I closed my swollen eyes and willed my own mind blank.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Shadowhunter Family Trees

I just finished Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare which I am sure most of you are familiar of. As soon as I was done I couldn't help but create a family tree for my favorite shadowhunters of Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices. Clary, Tessa, Jace, Jem, Will, Izzy, Alex, and Max are all included in some way. If there are some errors please tell me! I used my memory of the series and wikipedia to help me. If you haven't read this series then I strongly encourage you to read them becuase they are all the rage right now!

Mortal Instruments:




Infernal Devices:






I hope you enjoyed my hard work at helping you understand these shadowhunter families!

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

ExtraNormal Blog Tour! Guestpost, Review, and Giveaway!

Yay! My stop is finally here! Boy was I lucky to get the last spot left on the tour. For some reason nobody wanted May 2nd! :) At the last second I was able to receive the ebook and a guest post for this stop so enjoy!



Title- ExtraNormal
Author- Suze Reese
Source- E-book sent from the author
Pages- 253
Publisher- Valarian Press
Publication Date- April 2nd 2012

Goodreads Summary-
Mira Johns is pretty much like any other teenage girl. Except that she knows how to harness electro-magnetic energy to communicate without words. And she’s really, really far from home. Her assignment as an emissary to Earth sounds fairly simple: blend in, observe, and stay away from the planet’s primitive males. But after she finds one mysterious boy too irresistible for stupid rules, she realizes the real reason she’s supposed to keep her distance: mates from her world can die if separated. But a series of serious accidents make it clear that someone wants to force her return. Mira decides her only hope is to uncover the truth to why she, the most mediocre of candidates, was actually chosen for this assignment—before the agency discovers her secret and sends her back home.


~Review~
Cover Thoughts-
I love it! It's so unearthly and magnetic just like the book. I pictures Mira just like that!

First Thought-

Aliens? Umm well this is different. I have never read anything about alien romance.

What I liked-
ExtraNormal is completely unique. I wasn't sure how much I would like reading about aliens and science stuff but this was not what I expected. It was awesome. This girl gets an opportunity of a lifetime and the first day is already breaking rules like eating Earth food, talking to males, and well falling in love. I love the effects Suze Reese added to Mira's race of people. They can stream which is like talking through mind. They can sense emotions and do basically everything better. So it only makes it harder for Mira to stay on the down-low to keep her mission a secret. She must get evidence that 2 suspecting teachers changed their beliefs in exchange for the Earth ones. She runs into a million different distractions and pieces of information she must put together before she leaves and leaves the love of her life behind as well.

What I disliked-
I thought the ending was too happy for my tastes. I wanted a bit of a let down or a cliffhanger or something to get me all riled up for the next in the series. If there is a next one of course I still want to read it but ExtraNormal almost felt like it could be a book without a series. That's about it. I loved it.

Overall Readability-
It was unearthly and dream shattering. I was so excited to get to the end because I did not want Mira's love story to end. Uniqueness it what I look most to in books because I hate reading the same thing and this book was totally unique and it was good!

My Final Thought-
nanananananaaaaaaaaaaaaannanananaaaaaaaaaaa <-Spy music. Awww what a cute happy ending!


4 out of 5 Haunted Roses



~Guest Post~

Thanks so much for having me on as a guest blogger today! As you know, you’re stop number 10 on An ExtraNormal Blog Tour, which is celebrating the release of my new paranormal romance. Many of the stops have had reviews, which has been crazy fun. And there have been several interviews, also fun. But you’re my only guest post. (Don’t you love feeling special?)
It took me a little time to decide what to blog about – it feels a little funny to just come brag about my book. Though I know that’s what promoting is. So I’ll just say it once: ExtraNormal is totally amazing and you’ll love it. Honest. And I’m only slightly biased.
Plus there are incredible prizes for participants in the blog tour (hint: a Kindle!) So make sure you check that out at the link above.
With that out of the way, I’d like to talk about one of my favorite subjects:
LOVE! That’s right (picture yourself tossing rose petals when you say it): L-O-V-E!
I’ve been giving it (love) a lot of thought lately.
Partly cause I happen to be in love with the most amazing guy. But that’s off topic.
Also because I run the blog carnival I Heart YA (follow along from my blog on Tuesdays if you’d like. More shameless promoting! Isn’t it great?!)
Mostly because I’m starting the outline for the sequel to ExtraNormal, and have been especially tuned in to the many varied opinions on the subject. One person’s “dreamy” can be another person’s “gag me”. The words “hot and steamy” can be a turn-on to some (sorry about the pun) and a turn-off to others. And don’t even get me started on the topic of Insta-Love. Some won’t read any books that include love at first sight. Others find exceptions for paranormal activity. And others swoon at the very thought. (Look, you got me started. Okay moving on.)
Out of curiosity, I googled the question: “What makes a good romance novel?” Wouldn’t you know, someone asked almost that exact question on Yahoo Answers.
So just for kicks, let’s dissect some of the responses. Remember, these are people saying what they like in a romance. And NONE of their answers are wrong. Just their opinions. (I didn’t edit them by the way.)
“What i think is interesting is when a girl has to chooses between 2 irresistable guys.”Hmm. That sounds suspiciously like a love triangle. Which I can say for a fact some people despise.
“HUMOR, humor is what makes the struggles in the story okay and gels the entire thing together.”I personally love humor, and have a lot of it in ExtraNormal. But sometimes that can be interpreted as: “This story was so cheesy!”
“i like when the story is explained well and it isnt rushed”Ah, that’s tricky. It sounds good, but can also be called: “Slow moving. Drags. Boring!”
How about this? “Give them (the characters) flaws, make them HUMAN.”
Yep. Sounds good again. But that can also go like this: “The characters were so annoying.”

Here’s a good one: “the more people in it. the better.”
That one could definitely say: “Confusing!”

And here’s the last one: “You don't want to make the characters annoying because i'm often found shouting at characters because they are too dense or stupid.”
Hard to argue with that. But refer to the comment about character flaws earlier.

In short, there is no right way to write a romance novel. Every novel will stink to some people and be genius to others (well, maybe just the author, but hopefully more). That’s why I think it’s great that there are so many options. The best an author can do is write a story that they enjoy and hope a few others will like it as well.
What about you folks? What makes a great romance to you?




Thank you Suze! My quick answer to that question is.... smoldering abs. HA! Just kidding I look for an awesome confession of love and a beautifully detailed description of the love they share, and a butt-kicking adventure of course! *which Suze added in ExtraNormal* 
"Ah ree jooan"- Our love is strong. That is my favorite quote.




~Giveaway~